Measuring iron in the brain can point to dementia.

ISLAMABAD -- Researchers have discovered a way of detecting the progression of dementia in people with Parkinson's disease by measuring iron deposits in their brains. A team of researchers has discovered that it is possible to measure the progression of dementia in people with Parkinson's disease by tracking iron deposits in their brains. Their findings appeared in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. Scanning for dementia progression in Parkinson's usually focuses on the loss of sections of the brain. However, brain imaging can typically only detect these changes late in the disease's progression. As a consequence, doctors typically assess dementia progression by tracking symptoms. The new research suggests that scanning techniques might be able to detect dementia far earlier and more accurately.

According to the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the characteristics of dementia include a loss of the ability to think, reason, or remember. Other signs include changes in a person's behaviour that affect their everyday life. Various diseases can cause dementia, and a person can sometimes have mixed dementias at the same time. There is a strong association between Parkinson's disease and dementia. Up to 50% of people with Parkinson's are also affected by dementia. People with Parkinson's may experience stiffness in their joints, shaking or tremors, and difficulty walking. It develops when a person's brain cells die, although it is not yet clear why this happens. At its...